69. Memorandum From the Assistant Deputy Director (Plans) for Covert Operations (Barnes) to Director of Central Intelligence Dulles0
Washington, March 21,
1961.
SUBJECT
- [less than 1 line of source text not declassified] Political Events
The following events and actions have occurred over the weekend and yesterday in Miami. Since the procedures have been pretty rapid-fire and since the parties of interest are moving about at the moment, there are a few points which cannot be definitively stated:
- 1.
- A meeting was held on Saturday evening, 18 March, attended by 13
of the 15 members of the FRD (the 2
not present were Goar Mestre and Pepin Bosch) both of whom were out
of town), plus 5 non-members of the FRD, i.e. Manolo Ray plus 4 other
members of his MRP Party; namely,
Dr. Felipe Pazos, Jorge
Beruff and two brothers, Armando
Lora and Raul Lora. For your
information the following is the total membership of the expanded
FRD with the names of the five
original members underlined.
Left Left of center Center Right Carrillo Artime Varona Maceo Jesus Fernandez (Labor, 30 Nov) Collada (Labor for Fraginals) Rasco Vargas Gomez Fernadez Travieso Carlos Hevia Miro Cardona (Student for Muller) Goar Mestre Alvarez Diaz Sergio Carbo Pepin Bosch - 2.
- You will remember that it was agreed as a result of a number of
meetings between Tony Varona, representing the FRD, and Manolo Ray, the principal
non-FRD political leader, that
the following procedure should be adopted in the formation of an
exile political government:
- a.
- A chairman of a revolutionary council should be selected who, in turn, would select the main membership of the council. After establishment in Cuba, such council would be transformed into a provisional government with the chairman as the president.
- b.
- The selection of the chairman was to be from a panel of six candidates whose names were chosen by an organization committee of six individuals agreed to by Ray and Varona. The two leading candidates were Miro Cardona and Felipe Pazos.
- 3.
- After the above Ray/Varona agreements, the Cuban exile groups swung somewhat against Ray with the result that the five-man FRD headed by Varona was expanded to fifteen members in an effort to strengthen Varonaʼs position.
- 4.
- At our request, the enlarged FRD agreed to go ahead with the selection of a chairman of the revolutionary council and to include in this process Ray and some of his MRP Party associates. The result was the meeting of 18 Cubans referred to in para. 1 above. Our representative opened the meeting with a prepared speech urging unity, asking the Cubans to assume responsibility in this important task and requesting that a chairman be selected by Monday night, 20 March. He then left the meeting. After two long sessions, the meeting, with everyone voting, unanimously selected Miro Cardona.
- 5.
- Miro Cardona is presently on his way to New York accompanied by Tony Varona, Justo Carrillo, Artime, all original members of the FRD; plus Manolo Ray and two of his MRP Party, Felipe Pazos and Raul Chibas. In addition, Rojas, the former Cuban Ambassador to London, is accompanying the party as interpreter. The purpose of the trip is to announce officially the election of Miro Cardona and the formation of a Revolutionary Council. Presumably all of those accompanying Miro Cardona, with the possible exception of Rojas, are members of the Council although this has not been definitively confirmed nor do we have any indication, if they are members, as to whether they have any assigned portfolio. The Miami Herald ran a small story yesterday on the proceedings but it was a pure news story and not in any sense an announcement.
- 6.
- We understand that the New York release will also include a statement of principles which is expected to be very close to the points agreed to by Ray and Varona in their talks referred above. A copy of these points is attached. You will remember that they were known to Mr. Berleʼs State Department Task Force and considered acceptable.